1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to the field of hand tools. More particularly, this invention pertains to tools for undertaking manipulative operations spaced apart from the operator's hands for picking up and moving objects from one place to another; these tools are generally known as "reachers". More specifically, this invention pertains to reachers having means for locking the pickup fingers about an object for moving it from one location to another.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are times and situations wherein an individual cannot directly use his or her hands to undertake a manipulative operation. Instances such as where house keys drop down through a grate, keys locked in a car, and a wallet dropped into a sewer are all instances where direct access to the article is prevented and some retrieval tool is needed. In addition, there are instances where an item is needed to be carefully moved from one location to another. Such an operation requires constant pressure applied to the manipulating tool against the object, so that it does not slip away. While young people may undertake and complete such an operation with ease, there are people, such as infirm, aged and even others who cannot maintain a constant grip on the tool handle with such a degree of consistency as to insure their grip will not loosen during the manipulation thereby allowing the item to fall from the grasp of the tool's pickup fingers. Simply picking up items has been the general subject of many reachers. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 3,527,492 concerns a tool for use in picking up trash or other items, comprising an elongated shaft having a handle at the upper end and a pair of springs operated pick-up fingers at the lower end. Such tool is successful for picking up small items. In addition, U.S. Pat. 4,709,837 concerns a somewhat similar tool containing a shoe horn and an abutment attached to a movabIe portion at the lower end of the shaft for aiding a person in putting on and taking off their shoes. In both of these devices, however, the pressure exerted against the object to be captured by the tool comes directly from the pressure of the user's hand squeezing the trigger.
Particularly where sustained long-term grasping power is required, virtually all of the prior art has required, in turn, sustained hand-grasping power be developed at the handle and transmitted through mechanical means to the operative end of the reacher. Where such hand power is insufficient because of age, arthritis or other reasons, the prior art has not been successful in providing a reacher-type tool of significant locking power to overcome this loss of hand power.